United States › New Mexico › Lincoln County COUNTY
Lincoln County New Mexico · 19,844 residents (2025 est.) · 4,831 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Lincoln County is a county of 20,224 people in New Mexico. At a median age of 52.4, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Density works out to 4 people per square mile. Owners hold 77% of the housing stock. 4% of people here were born outside the United States. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $233,200.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 52.4
US median: 38.9
Average education
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 41%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 19,411 in 2000
19,844 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 4 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 43.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
11K 14K 17K 19K 22K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Lincoln County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $53,303
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,886 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $19,338 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 14.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.8%
Public administration 2.5%
Education & health services 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.4%
Transportation & warehousing 0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$233,200
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $90,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$956
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $468 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 77.2% in 2000
23.2% rent
from 51.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.01 people
−21%since 2009
from 2.54 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 31.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 70.9%(13,763)
Hispanic / Latino 25.6%(4,975)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 60.2%(12,169)
Hispanic / Latino 33%(6,664)
from 59 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 20 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 19 more ancestry groups with data from 22.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 84.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 9.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 14.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 69.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 58.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 31.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 20.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 64.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 91.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 76.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 21.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 24.2%(2,046)
Women 15+
Never married 18.5%(1,669)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 16.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 31.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 19.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 30.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 28.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 51.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 56.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 9.7%(167)
Gulf War (1990s) 9.1%(158)
Share of the 1,727 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Lincoln County Head to head
Compare Lincoln County to nearby counties LINCOLN COUNTY VS
Torrance County
Income $57,842 +9%
Home value $159,700 −32%
Population 16,100 −19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LINCOLN COUNTY VS
Chaves County
Income $52,938 −1%
Home value $156,400 −33%
Population 63,364 +219%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LINCOLN COUNTY VS
De Baca County
Income $40,804 −23%
Home value $187,500 −20%
Population 1,647 −92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LINCOLN COUNTY VS
Otero County
Income $55,876 +5%
Home value $162,700 −30%
Population 70,368 +255%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Lincoln County, New Mexico? Lincoln County, New Mexico has about 20,224 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lincoln County, New Mexico? The typical household in Lincoln County, New Mexico earns about $53,303 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lincoln County, New Mexico expensive? In Lincoln County, New Mexico, the median home is worth about $233,200, and the typical rent is about $956 a month.
How educated are people in Lincoln County, New Mexico? About 32.2% of adults age 25 and over in Lincoln County, New Mexico hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lincoln County, New Mexico? About 19.3% of people in Lincoln County, New Mexico live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lincoln County, New Mexico grown since 1990? Yes, Lincoln County, New Mexico has grown since 1990. The population has added about 8,005 residents, a change of about 66 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 